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With its 25 properties across the country all located within five minutesâ walk from a train station, Via Inn is one of Japanâs most convenient hotel chains. The brand is all about offering âhome-likeâ relaxation â a focus under which guests are encouraged to not only spend the night, but unlock more time for hobbies and creative pursuits.
Via Innâs many fans include drag performer Durian Lollobrigida and veteran composer Toru Yamanaka, who opened up about their hotel habits and feelings for their adopted hometowns at Via Inn Shinjuku and Via Inn Kyoto Shijo Muromachi respectively.
When you're spending time in a city as big as Tokyo, it's never too early to start planning for the week ahead. From art exhibitions and foodie events to seasonal festivities and outdoor happenings, you can pack a lot into seven days in the capital.
Wondering where to start? We've sorted through the many events and venues in Tokyo that are still open and running during this time, plus we're keeping an eye on hottest new openings around the capital. Â
Want to make your weekend an exciting one? We've rounded up the best events, festivals, parties, art exhibitions and must-see spots in Tokyo for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Looking to get out of the city for a bit? Take a day trip to one of these nearby destinations, or head to an outlet mall just outside Tokyo for some great shopping deals. If that wasn't enough, you can also stop by one of Tokyo's regular markets, like the weekly UNU Farmer's Market near Shibuya.Â
With spring and sakura season just around the corner, cherry blossom events and illuminations are popping up all over Tokyo. You can also dive into some of the cityâs best sakura sweets.
Read on to find more great things to do in Tokyo this weekend.
Note: Do check the event and venue websites for the latest updates.
With an abundance of art shows happening this season, it'll be hard to catch all of the latest installations before they disappear. Nonetheless, we've got a list of the top art exhibitions taking place in some of Tokyo's most popular museums and galleries to help you figure out where to start.
For a full day of art excursions, you should also check out Tokyo's best street art and outdoor sculptures, or fill your Instagram feed at teamLab Borderless or the recently updated teamLab Planets.
Note that some museums and galleries require making reservations in advance to prevent overcrowding at the venues.Â
RECOMMENDED: Escape the city with the best art day trips from Tokyo
Despite its popularity amongst Tokyoites in the know, the Ebisu district, only one station away from Shibuya, is relatively young as a cultural destination. Since its industrial beginnings in the late 19th century as a beer-brewing town, it's evolved over the last few decades with the opening of the Yebisu Garden Place shopping and lifestyle complex, numerous fine-dining restaurants, music venues, studios and galleries. Now, with the introduction of the Tokyu Stay Shibuya Ebisu hotel, international visitors have even more reasons to visit â and new ways to connect with the neighbourhood more deeply.
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Welcome to the Time Out Tokyo newsletter, your best source for keeping up with our beloved city, whether youâre a seasoned Tokyoite, new in town or just visiting virtually. Youâll find inspiration in the form of the latest news and neighbourhood guides alongside the hottest restaurants, bars and events around the capital.
The weekly newsletter will come to your inbox every Thursday morning (8am JST), giving you ideas on how to spend your weekend as well as news and updates about this truly amazing city (if we say so ourselves).
Cherry blossom season is undoubtedly the highlight of spring in Tokyo, or Japan for that matter. Whether you hit the blooming dates on-the-mark, or happen to be here just before or after the full bloom, there are still lots of sakura-inspired events, cherry blossom sweets and hanami (cherry blossom viewing) happenings around the city. So really, if you're in Tokyo in March or early April, you can still revel in all the pink festivities.
RECOMMENDED: The best places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo
Tickets are now available via out affiliate partner Klook.
Watch out for âflyingâ penguins! Located on top of the Sunshine City complex, this partially open-air oasis opened its remodelled penguin area last year. Take a stroll under a giant water tank and spot penguins overhead with Tokyoâs cityscape as the backdrop â a breathtaking view you wonât find anywhere else. Another new feature is the skywalk, housing pelicans which are especially fun to check out during feeding time.
Other popular spots include the deep blue Jellyfish Tunnel and the Sunshine Lagoon, a huge tank with a wide variety of fish. When it comes to snack time, youâll love the light blue-coloured sea salt soft serve ice cream, made from Okinawaâs âsnow saltâ.
Cookie Time was founded in Christchurch, New Zealand way back in 1983 by two brothers who are passionate about the all-popular treat. Since then, the cookie specialist has been selling cookies across the country and opened its first and only international outpost in the colourful fashion district of Harajuku in Tokyo. This store offers fresh-off-the-oven cookies, with creative and decadent flavours such as salted caramel, triple chocolate, banoffee, lemon white chocolate and more.
Cookie Time is dedicated to serving the best âpairingâ for its cookies, offering fresh milk on tap, as well as creating cookie-inspired desserts including milkshakes, cookie dough, ice cream and sâmores. The OTT Freak Shakes are a crowd-pleaser: these indulgently rich milkshakes are topped with whipped cream, candy bars, caramel sauce or melted chocolate, sprinkles and, of course, a cookie or two.
International sushi chef Jiro Onoda is hosting a series of classes focused on making rainbow sushi. Donât worry, you donât need any cooking experience to join. The classes are open to anyone interested to learn how to make sushi using traditional Edo-style techniques.
The vibrant rolls are inspired by colours of the rainbow, and Onoda only uses all-natural ingredients to create the many-hued assortments. Classes are roughly two hours long: youâll be taught customary slicing techniques before preparing seven different maki rolls and six different nigiri. There will also be a tutorial on how to make the quintessential dashimaki tamago (Japanese-style omlette).
At the end of the lesson, you can enjoy eating what youâve made with the rest of the class. The venue is located accross from the main street of Kappabashi, famous for its traditional kitchenware, so you may be inspired to look for some Japanese cooking utensils for your own kitchen after the lesson. Having worked at restaurants in Shanghai and Vancouver as well as Tokyo, Onoda is fluent in English and Mandarin. As the class will primarily be in English, you wonât have a hard time following along if youâre visiting Tokyo from overseas.Â
Click here to make a reservation. You can pay on the day with either cash or credit.Â
Though it doesn't have its own heartwarming tale like Shibuya's Hachiko, this owl statue inside Ikebukuro Station is still a popular meeting spot. The name, Ikefukuro, is a play on Ikebukuro and fukuro (owl in Japanese).
Located a few minutes from the station, this hotel boasts eight restaurants offering a variety of dining options including kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse dinner), teppanyaki and European cuisines. They offer free wi-fi and a direct limousine bus service from Haneda and Narita airports.
If you're on a budget or a diet but love pizza, then stop here for a quick meal. The lunch sets start from ¥650 and include a (large) pizza slice with organic salad and a drink.
If you come out of the west exit of Ebisu Station and stay off the main road, youâll discover a network of backstreets offering an array of restaurants serving different cuisines. It can be a difficult choice if youâre not sure what youâre in the mood for. But should a craving for Thai food hit you, youâre in luck. Gapao Shokudo, which also has branches in Shibuya and Omotesando, beckons from the first floor on one street corner with its bright red signage and colourful window lights. Inside, itâs just as festive, with white-washed tabletops, tropical looking plants dotted around, and friendly staff ready to seat you. We visited on a week night and it was busy enough to feel vibey but we didnât have to queue to get a counter spot. If you prefer a table, you might need to reserve.Â
The menu features a wealth of Thai dishes and you can choose the spice level. For those who prefer no chilli at all, weâd recommend the Gana Massaman Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk (Â¥980, pictured above), ordered with a side of rice. The flavouring was actually on the sweet side (delicious!) and although the portion size looks small, it was packed with filling chicken, potato and veggies and we ended up struggling to finish it. For those who love the burn, go for the Gang Ped Gung Red Curry Prawn with Coconut (Â¥1.080). This is probably not the best Thai food you'll have in Tokyo, but the prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is fun and casual, and it'll still hit the spot.
A few times a year, the breathtaking Kiyozumi-dera Temple that overlooks Kyoto city hosts special nighttime visits, where the templeâs structures and surrounding foliage are illuminated for a mesmerising display. The Buddhist temple, which is over 1,200 years old, is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site known collectively as the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
The temple's seasonal light-up events occur every spring, summer and autumn. The annual autumn illumination in 2025 is scheduled to run for just 16 days from November 22 to December 7. While Kiyomizu-dera usually opens from 6am and closes at 6pm, it will extend its hours until 9.30pm (last entry 9pm) for the duration of the event, so visitors will have more time to appreciate the beauty of the temple and its scenery after dark.Â
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In addition to the illumination across the temple grounds and Jojuin garden, Kiyozumi-dera will also shine a bright blue beam into the night sky to symbolise the compassion of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy enshrined at the temple.Â
There is a general admission fee of Â¥500 for adults and Â¥200 for junior high and elementary school students.Â
For more autumn leaves illuminations at Kyoto temples and gardens, read our latest feature here. And if youâre looking for unique autumn experiences in Kyoto, check out this momiji tunnel train and this gorgeous autumn
Tokyoâs summer festival season is in full swing, and this upcoming long weekend perfectly encapsulates the cityâs vibrant energy. What makes the Marine Day weekend especially exciting is the variety of traditional events on offer, including a number of Bon Odori festivities happening across the city.
Bon Odori is a lively summer dance held during the Obon period to honour ancestors â a tradition thatâs been around for over 500 years. People gather around a yagura stage, dancing in circles to the rhythm of the music. Itâs a festive, feel-good way to spend a summer night â and the perfect chance to show off your best dance moves. Here are three Bon Odori festivals you can join this weekend.
Photo: Shota Nagao
Sendagaya Bon Odori Festival, July 18-19
To kick things off, stop by the Sendagaya Bon Odori Festival taking place at Hato no Mori Hachiman Shrine. You can expect food stalls set up by local businesses, as well as games and activities for children. Plus, of course, the requisite communal dancing.Â
Not familiar with the moves? No worries. Drop by around 4pm to learn the choreography, and you can join in one of the Bon Odori dances happening at 5.30pm, 7pm and 7.50pm (5.30pm, 6.45pm and 8pm on Saturday).
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Daibon, July 19
Get ready to get your groove on at Daibon, a modern rendition of the traditional Bon Odori festival held at Hachiman Shrine in Nakano wardâs Yamatocho. Here, the customary Bon Odori festivities are fused with a line-up of DJs and contempor